Modulation of prefrontal cortex activity by information toward a decision rule.

Full Abstract

We used fMRI to investigate how the information content of a stimulus influences activity in brain systems that support decision making. Subjects learned decision rules that were based upon the color, shape, or fill pattern of a series of stimuli. Each stimulus was classified by its information content, defined formally by the decision rules it excluded. While activity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) increased with increasing stimulus information, activity in the striatum did not. In contrast, within both the striatum and dlPFC, stimuli consistent with the rule evoked greater activity than stimuli inconsistent with the rule. This dissociation indicates that dlPFC supports modification of sets of stimulus-response contingencies while the striatum supports stimulus-specific learning.

Author information

Author/s: Huettel, Scott A (SA); Misiurek, Judyta (J);

Affiliation: Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Department of Psychiatry, Box 3918, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. scott.huettel(-atsign-)duke.edu

Grants: 16214 (Agency:PHS HHS) ; 41328 (Agency:PHS HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Neuroreport (Neuroreport), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2004-Aug; vol 15 (issue 12) : pp 1883-6

Dates: Created 2004/08/12; Completed 2004/11/29; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 15305129, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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